THE 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 
BULLETIN 



Volume 16 Number 22 



EDUCATION SERIES 11 



A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS 
OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 



by 
Joseph Doliver Elliff 

Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, 
University of Missouri 

and 
Abner Jones 

Fellow in Education, University of Missouri 




UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 

August, 1915 



*fen»£raph 



a 317 

33 E5 



THE 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

BULLETIN 

Volume 16 Number 22 
EDUCATION SERIES 11 

A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS 
OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 



by 
Joseph Doliver Elliff 

Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, 
University of Missouri 

and 
Abner Jones 

Fellow in Education, University of Missouri 




UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 

August, 1915 



*«0«f!»ph 



THE 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

BULLETIN 

Volume 16 Number 22 
EDUCATION SERIES 11 

A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS 
OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 



by 
Joseph Doliver Elliff 

Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, 
University of Missouri 

and 
Abner Jones 

Fellow in Education, ^University of Missouri 




UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 

August, 1915 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 



PAGES 

Foreword 3-4 

General Description of Saline County 5-8 

The Rural Schools of Saline County 8-24 

Summary — The Median School 25-26 

Comparison with Other Schools 26-29 

Bibliography of School Surveys 29-32 



School District Map of Saline County 16-17 



(2) 



FOREWORD 

The great development of Missouri schools in recent years 
has been confined, with few exceptions, to the schools of cities 
and towns. Altho there has been much favorable legisla- 
lation, altho the State Department of Education has been 
competent and sympathetic, altho county superintendents 
have given their best efforts to the improvement of rural edu- 
cation, the rural schools have made comparatively little 
progress. To find why the rural schools have not made greater 
progress is one of the most important problems confronting 
the people of Missouri. The first step in solving this problem 
is to secure, with accuracy and detail, the facts of the situa- 
tion. Accordingly, a movement has been started to study the 
rural schools of a number of counties of the State for the pur- 
pose of finding these facts. Because Saline County is repre- 
sentative of the better agricultural counties, its schools have 
been selected for the first study. 

As noted elsewhere, nothing given in this bulletin should 
be construed as either a criticism or a defense of the schools 
concerned. The purpose of the bulletin is to give only a state- 
ment of the facts, which will increase in significance as similar 
statements are secured with regard to the rural schools of 
other counties in Missouri. 

It is only thru the cooperation of a large number of per- 
sons that any systematic study of a system of schools is pos- 
sible. The authors wish to acknowledge their indebtedness 
to the following: 

1. The teachers in the rural schools of Saline County, 
from whom a large part of the information was obtained. 

2. Mr. J. L. Lynch, superintendent of the schools of 
Saline County, for free access to the records of his office and 
for valuable suggestions. 

3. Professors I. N. Evrard, W. Y. Lockridge, and J. J. 
Dynes of Missouri Valley College; Professors J. H. Coursault 

(3) 



4 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

and L. L. Bernard of the University of Missouri; Mr. G. W. 
Reavis of the State Department of Education; and Messrs. 
J. B. Boyd, W. H. Hargrove, E. O. Wiley, and A. S. Hurt, 
students in the University of Missouri, for assistance in visit- 
ing schools. 

4. Dean W. W. Charters of the School of Education of 
the University of Missouri for assistance in the preparation 
of the blank forms used and for valuable suggestions concerning 
all phases of the work. 

Joseph D. Elliff 
Abner Jones 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 



A STUDY OF THE RURAL SCHOOLS 
OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SALINE COUNTY 

Saline County, which is selected for this study, is situated 
in a large bend on the south side of the Missouri River, about 
two-thirds of the distance from the eastern to the western 
border of the state. Rich soil and a navigable waterway made 
it attractive. Accordingly, it is one of the earlier settled coun- 
ties of the state, the first settlement having been made in 1810. 
The growth was slow for a time, but by 1820 several hundred 
people had come, mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, 
and Indiana, and lived in settlements for protection against 
the Indians. At a later date a number of Germans located in 
the county. 

Saline County is a typical Missouri agricultural county 
of the wealthier sort. On account of rich soil, favorable 
climate, and accessibility to market, the agricultural condi- 
tions of the county are better than the average agricultural 
conditions of the state. Social conditions are not materially 
different from those of the state as a whole. 

There are two general topographical regions in the county, 
the river bottoms and the uplands. The bottom land com- 
prises about 125,000 acres along the Missouri River, which 
forms the boundary for a distance of some seventy-five miles. 
These bottoms are level and low, subject to frequent inundation, 
and poorly drained. The uplands vary from a fairly level to 
a broken and hilly surface, most of it being gently rolling. 
The broken land is found along the river bluffs and on the 
smaller streams. 

The large area of rich soil is the distinguishing feature 
of the county. More than 73 per cent of the total area of 
478,656 acres is of loessial origin, very rich and fertile. About 
65 per cent of the area is a gently rolling, well-drained surface 



6 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

covered with "Marshall silt loam," a soil that produces from 
30 to 100 bushels of corn per acre. Yields of more than 120 
bushels per acre have been raised on this soil. The soil in 
the river bottom varies from sandy soil to heavy gumbo. 
Some large crops are produced; but, owing to its liability to 
overflow and the difficulty of handling the heavy soil, this 
land is not so valuable as the upland. The land ranges in 
value from $35 to $200 per acre, with an average value, ac- 
cording to the United States Census of 1910, of $76.57. 

The Chicago and Alton Railroad and two branches of 
the Missouri Pacific Railroad give easy and direct access to 
the Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago markets. Kansas City 
is only sixty miles distant. Besides the railways, there are 
about 4829 miles of dirt roads, many of which, including both 
the Sante Fe trail and the north and south state highway, 
are well cared for. 

The rich soil of the county is well adapted to the pro- 
duction of corn, which is the chief product. The enormous 
corn yields are mostly fed to large numbers of cattle and hogs. 
In 1912 and 1913, Saline County ranked first in the state in the 
amount of corn produced; and in 1914, it ranked fourth. In 
the number of bushels per acre produced, it ranked second 
in 1912, fifth in 1913, and eleventh in 1914. During the three 
years mentioned, the county produced from - 4 \ to -£$ of 
all corn produced in the state, with a total yield of from 3,722,- 
732 to 6,143,364 bushels. 

Next to corn, wheat is the most important crop. In 
1914 the county produced 1,438,356 bushels of wheat, more 
than A of the 36,933,501 bushels produced by the whole 
state. It ranked first among the counties of the state in the 
amount of wheat produced. 

The census of 1910 shows the productivity of the county 
to be proportionately greater than that of the state at large. 
The total value of all farm crops in the county is reported 
to be $4,527,698, while that of the whole state is $220,663,724. 
Saline County, therefore, produces approximately tV of the 
farm crops of the state. In the total value of animals sold 
and slaughtered and of poultry and dairy products, Saline 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 7 

County produced approximately sV of the total amount pro- 
duced in the state, the figures being respectively $3,445,230 
and $185,713,058. These figures may not mean that the 
county is more productive than the average of the state for 
the same area, since the county is a large one. However, a 
comparison of the rural population of the county with that 
of the state shows that the county has only about A of the 
rural population of the state. The rural population to the 
square mile in the county is 28.3, and in the state it is 27.6. 

Another way of determining the relative material pros- 
perity of the county is to compare the value of the land and 
other farm property of the county with that of the state. 
The census of 1910 shows the average value of farm lands 
in the county to be $76.57 per acre, while that of the state 
is $41.80 per acre. The value of all farm property per farm 
in the county is $14,089, while for the state it is only $7,405. 
With this great difference in the average wealth per farm, 
there is little difference in the average size of the farms, which 
is 138.1 acres for the county and 124.8 for the state. 

A slightly greater amount of tenantry in the county and 
a slightly less freedom from mortgage debt of farm owners 
operating their own farms than in the state as a whole, may 
have little significance. In' the county 65.9 per cent of the 
farms are operated by their owners, while in the state 70 per 
cent of the farms are operated by their owners. In the county 
almost exactly 50 per cent of the farms operated by their 
owners are free from mortgage debt, while in the state the 
percentage is 53.7. The difference is not great. 

The population statistics of the last census show Saline 
County to have, as compared to the state as a whole, a larger 
percentage of rural population, of native born population, 
and of negro population respectively, a smaller percentage 
of illiteracy among whites, and a larger percentage of illiteracy 
among the negroes. It had proportionately a smaller increase 
in urban population and a larger decrease in rural population 
in the ten-year period from 1900 to 1910 than the state as a 
whole. Of the population of the county, 72.5 per cent is rural; 
and of the population of the state, 57.5 per cent is rural. The 



8 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

native-born whites of native parents in the county are 77.2 
per cent of the total, while in the state they are 72.5 per cent 
of the total. The negro population of the county is 12.8 per 
cent, while of the state it is 4.8 per cent. The illiteracy of the 
native whites in the county is 2.6 per cent, and in the state it is 
2.9 per cent; while among the negroes, the county shows an 
illiteracy of 20 per cent and the state 17.4 per cent. The 
census of 1910 shows a decrease in the rural population of 
many agricultural sections. In Missouri the decrease was 3.5 
per cent, but in Saline County it was 18.5 per cent; while the 
urban population in both county and state increased for the 
same period, 6.8 per cent in the county and 22.3 per cent in the 
state. The urban movement is to some extent both cause and 
effect of the unsatisfactory condition of the rural schools. 

Compared with the average run of counties of the state, 
Saline County is well supplied with educational facilities. 
Marshall, the county seat, is the seat of Missouri Valley Col- 
lege, a standard four-year college under the control of the 
Presbyterian Church. A few church schools of elementary 
grade are maintained in the county. First-class public high 
schools are maintained at Marshall, Slater, and Sweet Springs; 
Miami and Blackburn have third-class high schools; while 
five other towns have unclassified high schools; making ten 
city, town, and village schools. There are 112 rural district 
schools in the county, 106 of which were inspected. 

THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY 

No real national system of schools exists in the United 
States. The national government, having laid a broad founda- 
tion and made liberal provision for a system of free schools 
in all the states, has left each state free to work out its own 
plan for these schools in its own way. The national contri- 
bution was in money and land. Having vested the title in the 
state and placed such safeguards as seemed wise, the national 
government left the state practically free to use or squander 
its inheritance. Since the states were left free to work out 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI V 

their own school systems, naturally different types of state 
administrative systems developed. 

State school systems may be roughly divided into two 
groups, the centralized and the decentralized. Between 
these two there are all degrees of difference. In both types the 
state, by constitutional provision and legislative enactment, 
makes possible a complete system of free schools. In the cen- 
tralized type the state goes further and assumes the respon- 
sibility and exercises a maximum amount of control, leaving 
only a minimum amount of control to the local community 
or district. In the decentralized type the reverse is true, the 
maximum responsibility and control being left to the local 
district. The Missouri school system is an excellent illustra- 
tion of the decentralized or democratic type of school admin- 
istration. Whether there is a good school or none depends 
primarily not upon the state, but upon the people in the par- 
ticular school district. A full understanding of this fact is an 
aid in understanding recent educational development in Mis- 
souri and in answering, in some measure at least, the question: 
How shall the unequal educational opportunities in different 
communities be accounted for? 

In recent years there has been a wonderful growth and 
development in Missouri schools. In some respects, notably in 
the case of the public high schools, the development has been 
almost phenomenal. For the most part, however, the growth 
has been confined to the towns and cities, only here and there 
a rural community being found that has made any such ad- 
vancement as has been made in the towns. The difference can- 
not be explained on the basis of favorable or unfavorable legis- 
lation; for, beginning with the law providing for county super- 
vision, each General Assembly has passed laws specifically 
designed for the betterment of rural schools. In spite of favor- 
able legislation, in spite of the best efforts of a thoroly compe- 
tent sympathetic State Department of Education, in spite of 
the best efforts of county superintendents, the rural schools 
show comparatively little progress. Why? 

To find the true answer to this question is one of the most 
important problems confronting the people of Missouri. No 



10 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

incomplete or partial solution will answer the purpose; the real 
underlying causes must be found and removed. In order to do 
this, all the available facts must be found, if possible. The 
facts must then be studied in their relation to one another and 
to the complex whole of which they are parts. It was for the 
purpose of securing some of the facts that this study was under- 
taken. This study is in no sense a complete survey of the rural 
schools of Saline County. Nothing in it is to be construed as 
a criticism or a defense of the schools. The sole purpose of the 
study is to get an accurate first-hand statement of the facts. 
It will be observed that the facts recorded may be divided 
into two groups: 

1. Measurement and observation; e. g., the ratio of light 
space to floor space, the condition of the privies. 

2. Facts involving a judgment; e. g., the attitude of the 
people toward the school, the value of the best barn in the 
district. 

All measurements and observations were made on the 
ground at the time the school was visited, and were made by 
inspectors each of whom is a trained school man of successful 
experience. Before beginning work, each inspector was given 
a blank form on which to record the observations and was 
instructed in its use. Each was given a tape measure, and 
the necessary chemicals for testing the drinking water. It was 
found that some of the information which should have been 
available in the school records could not be obtained. In 
every case investigated, the district records were in poor form. 

Since it is believed that the facts will interpret them- 
selves, they are submitted with only such comment as will 
make clear their origin and nature. Not all the data gathered, 
but only the more important, have been used. The reports 
on each school have been kept and may be made the basis of 
a further study. 

Where not otherwise specified, the figures in the tables 
which follow indicate the number of rooms. 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 11 



Heating and Ventilation 

L Kind of heating plant 
77 unjacketed stoves 
23 jacketed stoves 
10 furnace stoves 

2. Location of heating plant 
76 near the center of room 
33 in the corner of room 

1 in basement 

3. Kind of fuel used 
98 coal 

12 wood 

4. Place for keeping fuel 

6 in house 
14 in yard 
90 in fuel shed 

5. Ventilation 

86 by windows and doors only, 3 having boards under windows 
to prevent drafts 

14 by jacketed stoves, the jacketed stoves having no outside 
air intakes and providing merely for the circulation of the air 
in the room 

10 by furnace 

Lighting 

1. Ratio of floor space to window space 

3 with ratio of 4 to 1 
5 with ratio of 5 to 1 

20 with ratio of 6 to 1 

21 with ratio of 7 to 1 

15 with ratio of 8 to 1 
1 7 with ratio of 9 to 1 
14 with ratio of 10 to 1 

5 with ratio of 1 1 to 1 

5 with ratio of 12 to 1 

4 with ratio of 13 to 1 
1 with ratio of 16 to 1 

Only eight rooms had sufficient light space in proportion to floor 
space; that is, at least 1 to 5. 

2. Location of windows 

105 rooms with cross lights; i. e., windows on opposite sides 



12 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

3. Window shades 

6 rooms with no shades 

34 rooms with shades in good condition 
30 rooms with shades in fair condition 
40 rooms with shades in poor condition 
In every case the shades were improperly placed, shading the upper 
part of the window. 

Seating 

84 with double desks 
26 with single desks 

19 with broken desks, the number of broken desks being 106 
461 pupils were improperly seated; i. e., feet dangling or seat 
too small 

Care of Room 

1. Floors oiled 

7 annually 

2 more frequently 
101 never 

2. Floors scrubbed 
61 annually 

32 more frequently 

17 never 

3. Floors swept 
103 daily 

7 at irregular intervals 

with use of sweeping mixture 

63 by the teacher 

23 by the pupils 

24 by janitor 

41 by teachers without pay for sweeping 

22 by teachers paid from one to five dollars per month for 
sweeping 

Water-Closets 

12 with urinals 

18 with screens 

5 with boxes for excreta 

28 clean 

70 marked or cut 

30 marked or cut obscenely 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 13 

24 scrubbed annually 

4 scrubbed monthly 

7 scrubbed at irregular times 

70 never scrubbed 

16 cleaned out underneath annually 

5 cleaned out underneath semiannually 
84 never cleaned 

All closets were earth privies. Three schools had no closets for boys, 
and one school had no usable privy for boys or girls. 

Cloakrooms 

15 with separate cloakrooms for boys and girls 

23 with common cloakrooms for boys and girls 
72 with no cloakroom 

Drinking Water 

24 with dug wells 

50 with cisterns 

29 with driven wells 

3 with springs 
76 with wells and cisterns covered 

51 with wells and cisterns liable to contamination from surface 
drainage 

22 with cisterns never cleaned 
In 68 of the 106 cases, the examiners' tests of the water supply were 
unfavorable. This was a simple chemical test to determine the presence 
or absence of soluble chlorides. An unfavorable test simply meant that 
the water supply was questionable and that it should be examined by a 
chemist or practicing physician before being used. Forty-five schools 
had individual drinking cups for some pupils. 

Physical Examination 

No school had physical examination of the children. 

Play and Playgrounds 

1. Apparatus 

12 schools with some playground apparatus 
98 schools with no playground apparatus 
55 schools reported that children play much 

2. Games played. (Observed by inspector or reported by teacher 

and pupils) 



14 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

58 black man 

3 fox and dog 
11 tag 

22 town ball 

7 "antieover" 

6 basket ball 
33 baseball 
16 drop the handkerchief 

3. Supervision 

26 with play organized by the teacher 
42 with play supervised by the teacher 

4. Size of unobstructed playground 
30 with \ acre 

20 with J acre 

14 with § acre 

14 with 1 acre 

2 with If acres 

4 with 1^ acres 

3 with 2 acres 

4 with no playground 

Provision for Hot Lunch 
No school had provision for hot lunch. 

Building and Grounds 



3. 



Material of building 










5 


brick buildings 










101 


frame buildings 










Years since building was 


painted (Reported by 


teacher, 


pupils, 


and patrons) 










6 


one year 










4 


two years 










1 


three years 










1 


four years 










42 


five years 










8 


six years 










28 


more than six years 










7 


never painted 










Condition of buildings 










38 


in good repair 










31 


in fair repair 










37 


in poor repair 










16 


artistic 










31 


buildings with broken windows, 


a total of 69 


panes missing 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 15 

4. Fences 

69 with grounds fenced 

22 with fence in good repair 

20 with fence in fair repair 
27 with fence in poor repair 

5. Lawns 

67 with well grassed lawns 
62 with lawns mowed annually 
12 with lawns mowed occasionally 
31 with lawns never mowed 

6. Landscape gardening 

67 with grounds apparently neglected 

3 with some attempt at landscape gardening 
73 with beautiful natural surroundings 

7. Interior decoration 

39 with pleasing interior effect 

66 with good pictures on the walls 

3 1 with decorations other than pictures 

21 with artistic tinting 

Equipment 

1. Libraries 

Volumes in libraries: total 11,443; lowest number 0; highest 
number 420; average number 102. 

Value of libraries: total $3852; lowest $0; highest $140; aver- 
age $35. 

Percentage of useless books: lowest 0; highest 85; median 7. 

26 with books in good condition 

44 with books in fair condition 

40 with books in poor condition 

12 with boards obeying the library law 

19 with books paid for by the boards 

75 with books paid for through entertainments 

26 with good selection of books 

51 with fairly good selection of books 

33 with poor selection of books 

2. Blackboards 

41 with slate blackboards 

18 with composition blackboards 
29 with wood blackboards 

22 with plaster blackboards 

54 with enough blackboard space (3 sq. ft. per pupil) 
96 with ordinary chalk 
14 with dustless chalk 



16 



UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 




RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 



17 




18 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

3. Teacher's desk 

54 with teachers' desks in good condition 
25 with teachers' desks in fair condition 
30 with teachers' desks in poor condition 
1 with no teacher's desk. 

4. Supply of books on teachers' desks 
13 with good supply 

23 with fair supply 
58 with poor supply 
16 with no supply 
All desk books were paid for by the teachers. 

5. Miscellaneous 

57 with good dust-proof book cases 

13 with cabinets 

15 with organs 

with a piano or phonograph 

1 with a museum 

1 with free textbooks 

86 with one or more maps 

41 with enough maps (Missouri, United States, continents) 

72 with enough good erasers 

1 with some equipment for teaching manual training 

1 1 with some equipment for teaching agriculture 

30 with measuring sticks for teaching arithmetic 

1 with balance and weights for teaching arithmetic 

2 with liquid or dry measure for teaching arithmetic 
2 with some equipment for sewing 

1 with some equipment for cooking 
50 schools used slates 
281 pupils used slates 

6. Textbooks 

80 with all pupils fully supplied 

Finance 
The financial statistics were obtained from the records in the office 
of the county superintendent of schools and are for the school year 1913-14. 
In most cases the district clerks failed to make a full detailed statement 
of receipts and expenditures by funds as the law requires. 
1. Taxation 

Assessed valuation: total (76 districts) $7,137,065; lowest 
$12,930; highest $215,000; median* $70,000; middle 50 
per cent $49,500 to $109,285. 
Levy for school purposes (cents on $100): highest 75; lowest 0; 
median 40; middle 50 per cent 40 to 65; 37 levied 40c and 
27 levied 65c. 
* The median is the case which was found in the investigation to have 
as many cases below it as there are above it. 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 19 

Levy for interest and sinking fund reported by only two dis- 
tricts, one 15c and the other 25c on $100. 

Levy for building: seven cases reported lowest 10c and highest 
25c on $100. 

Total tax levy (cents on $100) : highest 90; lowest 0; median 40; 
middle 50 per cent 40 to 65; 38 districts levied 40c; 21 dis- 
tricts levied 65c. 

Receipts last year (93 districts) 

Cash on hand: total $15,092; lowest $2; highest $1260; median 
$115; middle 50 per cent $44 to $221. 

2. Receipts from permanent funds 

State: total $8,589; highest $378; lowest $30; median $73 

middle 50 per cent $68 to $90. 
County: total $3,273; highest $102; lowest $7; median $33 

middle 50 per cent $24 to $41. 
Township: total $1328; highest $165; lowest $1; median $8 

middle 50 per cent $5 to $17. 
Railroad: total $5908; highest $146; lowest $28; median $68 

middle 50 per cent $50 to $95. 
Total from public funds (78 cases) highest $538; lowest $66 

median $194; middle 50 per cent $140 to $227. 

3. Receipts from local funds (87 cases) 

For school purposes: total $28,823; highest $885; lowest $101; 

median $310; middle 50 per cent $218 to $430. 
For interest, building, and miscellaneous there are no data. 

4. Expenditures last year (97 cases) 

Teachers: total $42,023; highest $880 (two teachers); lowest 

$180; median $397; middle 50 per cent $305 to $490. 
Clerk: total $1024; highest $25; lowest $0; median $10; middle 

50 per cent $10 to $12. 
Fuel: total $5769; highest $68; lowest $4; median $25; middle 

50 per cent $18 to $34. 
Total expenditures: highest $1097; lowest $189; median $481; 

middle 50 per cent $380 to $641. 

5. Salary of teacher per month (104 cases) 

Total $5292; highest $80; lowest $32.50; median $50; middle 50 
per cent $45 to $60. 

6. Values of school buildings compared with values of barns 

Value of best barn in district (80 cases): highest $3500; lowest 
$200; median $1200; middle 50 per cent $1000 to $1500. 



20 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

Value of average barn (80 cases): highest $1000; lowest $100; 

median $500; middle 50 per cent $300 to $500. 
Value of school building (91 cases): total $53,150; highest $2000; 

lowest $150; median $400; middle 50 per cent $300 to $700. 

Attendance 

1. Enumeration (94 cases): total 3,732; highest 107; lowest 8; 
median 37; middle 50 per cent 28 to 47. 

2. Enrollment (104 cases): total 2710; highest 66 (a two-room 
school); lowest 5; median 26; middle 50 per cent 16 to 33. 
The largest number enrolled in any one-teacher school was 55. 
The survey was made during the first month, so average 

attendance was not found. 

Attitude Toward School 

1. Wealthy class without children (96 cases) 
46 with this class friendly 

21 with this class unfriendly 
8 with this class indifferent 
21 with no data 

2. Tenants (83 cases) 

70 with tenants interested 
13 with no data 
with tenants uninterested 
Per cent of tenants: highest 100 per cent; lowest 2 per cent; median 
25 per cent. 

3. Community as a whole (98 cases) 

No community with very strong interest in school 
20 communities with strong interest in school 
40 communities with fairly strong interest in school 
36 communities indifferent to school 
2 communities opposed to school 

Use of School Buildings During Previous Year 

1. Farmers' meetings 
95 not used 

8 used 
Two buildings were used for this purpose three times each; one was 
used two times, and the others were used once each. 

2. Social meetings (chiefly school entertainments for the purpose 
of raising money) 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 21 

56 not used 
45 used 
Four times was the most any building was used for this purpose. 

3. Debating societies 
99 not used 

1 used 

4. Political meetings 

4 used, two times having been the maximum in any case 
96 not used 

5. School meetings 
98 used 

1 not used 
One building was used five times, and most of the buildings were used 
only once. 

6. Religious meetings 

5 used, one having been used weekly, one monthly 

7. All other purposes 

5 used 

8. Attitude of communities toward a wider use of the school plant 
12 opposed 

20 favorable 
34 indifferent 
44 no data 

Instruction 

1. Teachers living conditions 
Salary per month (see page 19) 

Board per week: highest $5; lowest $1.50; median $3. 38 
teachers live at home, 26 of these pay no board. 

Distance teacher lives from school: farthest 9 miles; closest less 
than | mile; median £ mile; middle 50 per cent 1 to 2 
miles 

2. Age of teacher (106 cases) 
41 from 18 to 21 inclusive 
32 from 22 to 25 

9 from 26 to 29 
24 more than 29 

Lowest 18; highest 66. 

3. Sex of teachers 
24 male 

86 female 



22 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

4. Grade of certificate 

1 special 

33 third grade 

50 second grade 

18 first grade 

1 normal diploma 

4 teacher training 
3 no data 

5. Number of months experience of teachers at beginning of term 
(108 eases) 

39 with 8 or less 

14 with 9 to 16 inclusive 

9 with 17 to 24 inclusive 

9 with 25 to 32 inclusive 
25 with no previous experience 

Highest 280; lowest 0; middle 50 per cent 8 to 48. 

6. Number of years in high school (105 cases): lowest 0; highest 
5 (2 cases); median 4 (78 cases) 

7. Number of years in college or university: lowest (69 cases); 
highest 4 (2 cases); less than one year 19 cases; one year 8 cases; 
more than one and less than four years 7 cases. 

8. Number of terms in normal school 
59 had not attended 

29 had attended one term 
14 had attended two or three terms 
3 had attended more than three terms 

9. Number of months in present school (108 cases) 
77 less than 9 months 

17 from 9 to 16 months 

5 from 17 to 24 months 
9 more than 24 months 

10. Lines of study carried on by teachers 
25 reading circle work 

5 "general" work 

1 correspondence work 

1 musical work 

11. Records 

1 10 with record of absences in all cases 

40 with record of causes of absences 

87 with record of class standing in permanent form 

41 with last term's report in the building 

12. Permanence of teaching force 

Number of teachers since 1908 (104 cases) 

2 with one teacher 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 23 

10 with two teachers 
24 with three teachers 
28 with four teachers 
26 with five teachers 

1 1 with six teachers 

3 with seven teachers 

13. General discipline (inspector's judgment) 
21 teachers nagged 

79 schools had children happy in their work (inspectors report- 
ing pupils happy if they did not seem to be unhappy) 

68 schools had lively school spirit (see comment above) 
42 schools had lifeless school spirit 

60 teachers were likable 

6 teachers were unlikable 
44 teachers were neither likable nor unlikable 

53 teachers had a good sense of humor 
No data for corporal punishment. 

14. General character of daily program 

78 with well defined daily programs 
32 with no well defined daily program 
59 with alternations 

15. Number of class periods per day per teacher 

12 with less than 24 class periods daily 

18 with 24 class periods daily 

10 with more than 24 and less than 30 periods daily 
15 with 30 class periods daily 

13 with more than 30 class periods daily 
Lowest number 16; highest 34. 

16. Character of teaching (inspector's j udgment) 

75 with teachers following the book in class work 

35 with teachers following the pupil in class work 

90 with teachers having a good standard of personal speech 

51 with good English required of pupils 

69 with motivation through generic appeals 

15 with motivation through intrinsic function of subject-matter 

54 with text-books used intelligently 

56 with text-books used unintelligently 
88 with test questions chiefly 

13 with developing questions 

57 with pupils having opportunity to think 

19 with subject-matter usually told to the pupils 

80 with pupils usually getting subject-matter from the book 
23 with summaries made wisely 

35 with adequate drill 

18 with applications of knowledge made 



24 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

34 with teachers giving concrete instruction 
69 with teachers giving abstract instruction 
17. Results of teachers' work (inspector's judgment) 

21 with pupils understanding intrinsic function of subject- 
matter 
23 with pupils able to organize subject-matter 
45 with pupils skillful in memory and drill operations 
23 with pupils making applications intelligently 
60 with pupils liking their work 
2 with organizations effective in school life 

The Rural School Board 

In most cases the official records of the district could not be secured. 
In no case were the district records well kept. From conversations with 
teachers, district clerks, and members of the boards, it was learned that the 
usual method of doing business was as follows: The newly elected board 
held a short meeting for the purpose of organization at the time of the 
annual election. Quite commonly this was the only full meeting of the 
board during the year. The teacher was employed, supplies purchased, 
contracts entered into, and warrants drawn, all without a meeting of the 
board and contrary to law. 

In the employment of a teacher, the members of the board separately 
interviewed the applicants, the prospective teacher making the rounds of 
the board. The first member interviewed by the applicant would tell her 
whether he favored her election; the next member would then be visited 
and would be told what the first one said. If the second member was 
favorable, the matter was considered settled, and the clerk would draw 
up a contract and sign it. The fortunate applicant would take the con- 
tract to the president of the board, who would attach his signature to it. 
Warrants were issued in much the same way, the teacher's monthly report 
being filed with the district clerk, who would fill out and sign a warrant 
for the month's salary. The teacher would then take the warrant to the 
president of the board for his signature. 

Illustrations of Unequal Educational Advantages 

(Data for one-room schools) 

Assessed valuation of districts: highest $215,000; lowest $12,930. 
Enumeration of districts: highest 107; lowest 8. 
Total tax levy of districts: highest $0.90; lowest 0. 
Value of school buildings: highest $1500; lowest $150. 
Annual salary of teacher: highest $640; lowest $180. 

Comparative Value of Barn and Schoolhouse 

Median value of schoolhouse $ 400 

Median value of average barn 500 

Median value of best barn 1200 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 25 



SUMMARY— THE MEDIAN SCHOOL 

Perhaps the median* is the most significant single measure 
of any group of related facts. There is, of course, no such 
thing as a median school. If, however, a hypothetical school 
is constructed on the basis of the medians for the entire group, 
the result will be a fairly accurate statement that will serve 
as an excellent typical case and will fairly represent the county 
as a whole. 

The median district has an enumeration of 37 and an average 
daily attendance of 20. The assessed valuation is $70,000 and 
the school tax forty cents on the hundred dollars. The receipts 
and expenditures for the year are as follows: received from 
direct taxation $280; from state $73; from county $33; from 
township $8; from railroad $68; total $462. The teacher's 
salary is $400. The amount spent for all other purposes is 



The building, which is worth $400 (about $100 less than 
the average barn in the district), is well located but in rather 
poor repair. It is the usual box-car type of construction, 
warmed by a coal stove placed near the center of the room. 
There is no means of ventilation, except the windows and doors. 
The lighting is very deficient, there being cross-lights and a 
ratio of light space to window space of one to eight. There are 
ordinary green shades, but they are improperly placed so as to 
shade the upper part of the windows. The floors are of hard 
pine, never oiled, scrubbed once last year, and swept daily by 
the teacher, who is not paid for the work. 

The water-closets are earth privies without urinals, screens, 
or boxes for excreta. They are near the house and in plain 
view of each other. They are never scrubbed, never cleaned 
out underneath, and are badly marked and cut. 

The drinking water is obtained from a cistern in the 
school yard and is liable to contamination from surface drain- 

* The median is the case which was found in the investigation to 
have as many cases below it as there are above it. 



26 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

age. The cistern has not been cleaned for a long time, the 
pupils have drinking cups in common, and the water is probably 
unfit for drinking purposes. 

The school grounds are rectangular in form, about three 
fourths of an acre in area, and fenced with a wire and board 
fence. The plot is well grassed and was mowed last summer. 
The children are not taught to play and the play is not super- 
vised. There is no playground apparatus and the children 
play "drop the handkerchief," "town ball," and baseball. 

The equipment consists of a library of 102 books, worth 
about $35. Of the library books 7 per cent are useless. The books 
are in a fair state of repair and are kept in a good bookcase. 
They were selected by the teacher and paid for with the receipts 
from box suppers. 

There is enough good blackboard, but it is too high to 
be of the best service to the smaller children. The teacher's 
desk is in fair condition and is fairly well supplied with books, 
which she herself has paid for. There is no equipment for 
teaching arithmetic, manual training, agriculture, cooking, or 
sewing. 

The pupils are well supplied with textbooks. 

Of the people in the district, 25 per cent are tenants. 
There is a fairly strong interest in the school on the part of 
the patrons. The building was used twice last year for public 
meetings, once for a school meeting and once for a box supper. 

The teacher is twenty-two years of age and this is her 
second year in teaching but her first year in this school. She 
is a graduate of a first-class four-year high school and holds 
a second grade county certificate. She has never attended 
college or normal school, has had no professional training, and 
in fact, is doing no professional work this year. 

COMPARISON WITH OTHER SCHOOLS 

The report of the state superintendent for 1913-14 gives 
some facts that are used as a basis for a comparison of the rural 
schools of Saline County with those of the state and with those 
of the towns of the county, especially Marshall. Marshall is 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 27 

the largest city in the county and has the most efficient schools. 
Statistics are not given separately in the report for the rural 
schools of the county, but they are given for the city and vil- 
lage schools. The figures for the rural schools were obtained 
by subtracting the combined figures for the ten towns from the 
figures for the county. The instruction in the rural school is 
practically all of elementary grade. The figures for elementary 
instruction in the towns were determined by subtracting the 
figures for the high schools from the total in all cases where the 
figures were not given separately for the elementary grades. 

The following table shows the rural districts of Saline 
County to have a larger enumeration and also a larger total 
enrollment than the ten towns of the county, but that the total 
number of days attended in the towns is greater than the total 
number of days attended in the country, and that in the ten 
towns of the county more than three times as many pupils fin- 
ished the eighth grade as in the rural districts. 

Ten Towns Rural 
Districts 

Enumeration 3506 3446 

Enrollment 3089 3232 

Total days attended by all pupils 441,067 352,890 

Graduates of the 8th grade 173 52 

The following table shows that the ten towns in the county 
have a total assessed valuation less than half of the total 
assessed valuation of the rural districts, and that they spend 
more than twenty per cent more on their schools than the rural 
districts spend for this purpose. 

Ten Towns Rural 

Districts 

Valuation 85,248,350 $10,849,484 

Total expenditure 79,738 55,642 

The following table shows that most of the better-trained 
teachers as indicated by the certificate held, are in the towns 



28 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

of the county. There are three classes of certificates reported, 
normal school, state, and county, the county being the lowest. 
This table also shows the greater permanency of service in the 
towns. 

Ten Towns Rural 



No. of teachers 

State teacher's certificates 

Normal school certificates 


100 
26 

35 

32 


Districts 
122 
3 
2 


Teacher only one year in present posi- 
tion 


74 



The following table shows that the rural schools of Saline 
County have a larger average assessed valuation per teacher 
employed and per pupil enumerated than that of the rural 
districts of the state as a whole, and also larger than that 
of the city of Marshall. It also shows that the rural schools 
of Saline County spend more per pupil than the average for the 
rural schools of the state but less than the city of Marshall. 



Assessed valuation per 

teacher employed 

Assessed valuation per pupil 

enumerated 

Amount expended per pupil 

enumerated 

Amount expended per pupil 

in average attendance. . . . 
Amount expended daily per 

pupil attending 

The following table shows that the rural schools of Saline 
County spend more for elementary education per pupil enumer- 
ated than the average amount thus expended by the rural 



Rural — 


Rural — 


Marshall 


Saline 


State 




County 






$88,930 


$66,401 


$71,046 


3148 


1569 


2099 


16.15 


10.24 


27.87 


20.09 


18.11 


36.16 


.151 


.130 


.201 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 29 

schools of the state or by the city of Marshall. It also shows 
that, in number of days of school for each pupil and in the pro- 
portion finishing the eighth grade, this expenditure produces 
results greater than the average results produced in the rual 
districts of the state, but less than the average results produced 
in the city of Marshall. 

Rural — Rural — Marshall 
Saline State 
County 
Expenditure for elementary 
education per pupil enu- 
merated 16.15 10.24 14.39 

Average No. days attended 

per pupil 109.2 95.1 146.9 

Percent of enumeration com- 
pleting the 8th grade 1.51 1.23 5.59 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SCHOOL SURVEYS 
GENERAL 

Community Study for Country Districts, by Anna B. Taft, New 

York Missionary and Educational Movement, 1912. 
Investigation of School Systems, Educational Review, 47:57-64, 

Jan. 1914. 
The School Survey, Elementary School Journal, 15:41, Sept. 

1914. 
Plans for Organizing School Surveys, Thirteenth Yearbook of 

the National Society for the Study of Education, Part 

II, 1914. 
The Application of the Local Survey to Small Communities, by 

J. S. Gillin, American Journal of Sociology, 17:647-58, 

Mar. 1912. 
Suggested Outline for Rural School Surveys, by F. G. Odell and 

J. E. Delgill, Nebraska Teacher, 14:521, May 1912. 



30 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

RURAL 

Periodicals 

Efficiency and the Rural School, Survey 30:525-28, July 19, 1913. 

Fair Hope — How a Southern Schoolhouse is Revealing Child- 
hood, Survey, 31:237-46, Dec. 6, 1913. 

The Social Survey in Rural Education, Educational Review, 
48:266-87, Oct. 1914. 

Reports 

An Educational Survey of Three Counties in Alabama, Depart- 
ment of Education, Montgomery, Alabama, Bui. No. 43, 
1914. 

The Rural and Village Schools of Colorado, 1906-1913, by C. G. 
Sargent, Colorado Agricultural College, Fort Collins, 
Colorado, Bui. No. 5, Series XIV, 1914. 

The Georgia Club, by E. C. Branson, Bui. U. S. Bureau of Educa- 
tion, No. 23, 1913. 

Educational Survey of Rabun County, Georgia, by M. L. Duggan, 
No. 1, Department of Education, Georgia, 1914. 

Sanitary Survey of Schools in Bartholomew County, Indiana, by 
J. A. Nedegger, U. S. Public Health Service, Reprint No. 
177 from Public Health Report, Feb. 6, 1914. 

An Educational Survey of a Suburban and Rural County (Mont- 
gomery County, Md.), Bui. U. S. Bureau of Education, 
No. 32, 1913. 

A Study of Rural Schools in Texas, by White and Davis, Bui. 
Univ. of Texas, No. 364, Oct. 10, 1914. 

Sanitary Survey of Schools of Orange County, Va., Bui. U. S. 
Bureau of Education, No. 17, 1914. 

Preliminary Report on Conditions and Needs of Rural Schools in 
Wisconsin, by the Training School for Public Service, 
August, 1912. 

A Rural Survey in Arkansas, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

A Rural Survey in Illinois, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

* 156 Fifth Ave., New York City. 



RURAL SCHOOLS OF SALINE COUNTY, MISSOURI 31 

A Rural Survey in Indiana, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

A Rural Survey in Kentucky, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

A Rural Survey in Maryland, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

Religious Life Work in Redwood County, Minn., Presbyterian 
Board of Home Missions.* 

A Rural Survey in Missouri, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

Ohio Rural Survey, 1914, Presbyterian Board of Home Mis- 
sions.* 

Ohio Rural Life Survey, Church Growth and Decline, Presby- 
terian Board of Home Missions.* 

CITY 

Periodicals 

New York School Inquiry, by A. W. Edson, Educational Re- 
view, 46:450-56, Dec. 1913. 

New York School Inquiry, by W. H. Maxwell, Educational 
Review, 47:65-79, Jan. 1914. 

Portland Survey, Wyoming School Journal, 10:122-27, Jan. 
1914. 

Reports 

Report of Survey of Dept. of Health and Dept. of Education, 
City of Atlanta, Ga., by S. L. Lindholm, December, 1912. 

Report of the Commission to Study the Public Schools of Balti- 
more, U. S. Bureau of Education, No. 4, 1911. 

Report of a Survey of the School System of Butte, Montana, 
Board of Education, Butte, Montana, 1914. 

Report of the Educational Commission of Cleveland, Board of 
Education, Cleveland, Ohio, 1906. 

* 156 Fifth Ave., New York City. 



32 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN 

Report of Committee on School Inquiry, Board of Estimate and 
Apportionment, City of New York, Committee on School 
Inquiry, New York City, 1911-1913. 

School Efficiency Series, edited by P. H. Hanus, World Book Co. 

Report of Survey of Public School System of School District 1, 
Multnomah County, Oregon, by Committee Appointed at 
Taxpayers' Meeting, Portland, 1913. 

The Public Schools of Springfield, III., by Leonard P. Ayres, 
Russell Sage Foundation, 1913. 

Waterbury, Conn., Summary of Two Surveys, Bureau of Muni- 
cipal Research, 261, Broadway, N. Y. 

STATE 

Periodicals 

The Ohio Survey, Survey, 31:494-5, Jan. 24, 1914. 

Vermont Educational Survey, Educational Review, 47:325-342. 

Reports 

A General Survey of Public High School Education in Colorado, 
Univ. of Colorado Bui., Vol. XIV, No. 10, 1914. 

Survey of Accredited High Schools and Professional Directory, 
by H. W. Johnson, Bui. Univ. of Kansas, July 1, 1914. 

Report of Maryland Education Commission, Educ. Dept. Bul- 
letin, Maryland, No. 2, 1910. 

Report of the Ohio State School Survey Commission to the Gov- 
ernor, Columbus, 1914. 

A Study of Education in Vermont, Carnegie Foundation, Bui. 
No. VII, Parts I and II, 1914. 



For more complete bibliography, see bulletin entitled School 
Surveys, issued by United States Bureau of Education, 
Washington, D. C. 



THE 

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

BULLETIN 

EDUCATION SERIES 



EDITED BY 

J. H. COURSAULT 
Professor of the History and Philosophy of Education 



1. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Fifth Edition, Revised. Issued 
by the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. (Out of 
print.) 

2. Rural Consolidation in Missouri, by O. L. Kunkel, Graduate Student, and W. W. 
Charters, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Professor of Theory of Teaching. 
(Out of print.) 

3. Journalism for Teachers, by F. L. Martin, Associate Professor of the Theory and 
Practice of Journalism. (Out of print.) 

4. Geography of Missouri, by F. V. Emerson, Instructor in Geology. (Out of print.) 

5. The Teaching of Poetry in the High School, by A. H. R. Fairchild, Professor 
of English. (Out of print.) 

6. An Experimental Study of Methods of Teaching High School German, by 
Mamie M. Clarahan, Graduate Student. 

7. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Sixth Edition, Revised. Issued 
by the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. (Published 
as Vol. II, No. 1.) (Out of print.) 

8. The Kind of Scholarship Records to be Kept in Schools, by Max F. Meyer, 
Professor of Experimental Psychology. 

9. A Course in Grammar Based on the Mistakes Made by School Children in 
Kansas City, Missouri, by W. W. Charters, Dean of the Faculty of Education, 
and Professor of Theory of Teaching, University of Missouri, and Edith Miller, 
Teacher of English, Soldan High School, St. Louis, Missouri. 

10. Circular of Information to Accredited Schools, Seventh Edition, Revised. Issued 
bv the Committee on Accredited Schools, University of Missouri. 

11. A Study of the Rural Schools of Saline County, Missouri, by Joseph Doliver 
Elliff, Professor of High School Administration and High School Visitor, Univer- 
sity of Missouri, and Abner Jones, Fellow in Education, University of Missouri. 



Copies of the University of Missouri Bulletin, Education Series, 
may be obtained without charge by sending requests to Editor, Educa- 
tion Series of Bulletins, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. 



Published by 
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI 

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 



The University of Missouri Bulletin — issued three 
times monthly ; entered as second-class matter at the post- 
office at Columbia, Missouri. 1200 



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